Samkhya Kapila Vaisheshika Kanada, Prashastapada Shuddhadvaita Vallabha Acharya | Yoga Patanjali Dvaitadvaita Nimbarka | |
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Jagadguru (Sanskrit: जगद्गुरु), literally meaning the Guru of the world, is a title used in Sanātana Dharma. Traditionally, it has been bestowed upon or used for Ācāryas belonging to the Vedānta school (among the six traditional schools of thought in Hinduism) who have written Sanskrit commentaries on the Prasthānatrayī (literally the three sources) - the Brahma sūtras (the original scripture of Vedānta), the Bhagavad-gītā (part of the Mahābhārata) and the principal Upaniṣads. Historically, Jagadgurus have established a lineage (Paramparā), established an institution to spread Dharma, who have been based in Varanasi, famous for being the centre of Sanskrit study and the "Capital of All Knowledge".
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Origin and history of the term
Jagadguru is of Sanskrit origin where जगत् (jagat) means 'the entire world' and गुरु (guru) means 'spiritual master'. In the classics and scriptures, the word has been used for several Devas. In the Mahābhārata, Arjuna addresses Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the 'Supreme Master of the entire world'. Ādi Jagadguru Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya uses the title Jagadguru for Śrī Kṛṣṇa in his Śrī Kṛṣṇa-āṣṭakam. The Sanskrit poet Kālidāsa uses the word Jagadguru for Lord Śiva in his great poem (Mahā-kāvya) titled Kumārasambhava. In the Rāmacaritamānasa, the poet-saint Tulasidāsa uses the same word for Lord Rāma. His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda uses it for Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in his song Guru Paramparā. His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedānta Svāmi Prabhupāda uses it for Lord Kṛṣṇa in his composition Mārkine Bhāgavata-Dharma.
Notable Jagadgurus
